Food Solutions

Raj Patel
is a writer, academic and activist. He has degrees from Oxford
University, the London School of
Economics and Cornell University, and is both a Visiting Scholar at UC
Berkeley's Center for African Studies, and is an Honorary Research Fellow at
the University of KwaZulu-Natal, in Durban, South Africa.
He is the author of Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World
Food System, and the New York Times and international bestseller, The
Value of Nothing. He has also published widely in the academic press, with
articles in peer-reviewed philosophy, politics, sociology, science and
economics journals. He was named an Utne Reader Visionary in 2009.

It has been months in the making, but I’m really pleased to be able to announce my next big project – Generation Food.

Everyone knows we live with a broken
food system, but often it is easier to focus on the bad news rather
than the good. In fact, we are surrounded by communities that already
know how to feed the world for our generation, and for generations to
come. From Malawi to Michigan, people and organizations are building
better ways to eat today so that all of us can eat well tomorrow. This
knowledge demands to be shared and spread.

Changing the food system couldn’t be
more urgent. All signs point to that conclusion, whether you consider
the droughts, floods and fires caused by climate change, the rise in
global food prices, or that the health effects of our current food
system is predicted to shorten children’s lives. Better, SMARTER ways of
growing food, and feeding the world are needed, now.

That’s why we’re developing a new documentary, book, and multimedia project, Generation Food. We want to show how ordinary women
and men around the world are overcoming obstacles and “setting the table”
for themselves, their communities, and generations to come. Generation
Food is our way of sharing the resilience and wisdom of these
communities with you, and yours with them online, on screen, on paper
and in person.

Still from the Generation Food campaign launch video.

Our Team

Led by documentary-making legend and award-winning director, Steve James, of Hoop Dreams and The Interrupters, and best-selling author Raj Patel, of The Value of Nothing and Stuffed and Starved, our team of fourteen researchers has worked for over a year to find some of the most inspiring stories from across the world.

From a climate-change-ready farming
system in Cuba, to a way of cooking and eating that transforms women’s
lives in Malawi, there are amazing experiences to share across the
table, and across the world.

Stories That Matter

In the Peruvian highlands, for
instance, indigenous farmers have lost a quarter of their growing season
to climate change. In response, communities haven’t just invented
better ways to farm the 700 native varieties of potato at 11,000 feet,
but also have markets with sliding-scale prices, to make sure that no
one goes hungry for lack of money.

It is through sharing surprising
ideas and deep knowledge that we can build the foundation for global
food stability for generations to come. We are eager to launch
Generation Food’s online content platform to share peoples’ ideas for
action. We want to start filming a documentary. We want to work with
communities around the world, including yours.

[Editor's note: after announcing Generation Food, Patel and James raised over $60,000 toward the project through Indiegogo. Watch the campaign launch video below. You can find out more about the project through the Generation Food Project website, and follow on Twitter: @FoodGeneration and @_RajPatel.]

So glad to hear the focus on what is already working which needs to be scaled up. We are in Malawi and agree with you there are many great things going on here, but more people need to hear about the solutions that are right at their fingertips, that each of us have a role in creating our sustainble homes, communities, nations and world. www.NeverEndingFood.org

Emily Dale

10/15/2012 1:39:31 PM

Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) has been proven to be a viable alternative to corporate agriculture, which is monocultural. Acquisition of non-GMO seeds is an imperative, and each community should create a seed bank for this purpose. Activists should engage local politicians to approve this approach and openly participate in it. After all, their lives are at stake as well.

DavidD

10/11/2012 6:15:32 PM

This is a great thing to do but I'm afraid Capital will displace rural people in favor of agro-business models of monoculture for profit.There has to be a political model and a agricutural method that can fight Capital so people of moderate means can feed themselves and others.